Fairtrade is helping producers adapt to the challenges and restrictions of coronavirus so they can continue to farm coffee now and into the future.
While COVID-19 has been less widespread at origin than in consuming countries at this stage, producers are feeling the blowback. Peter Kettler, Senior Coffee Manager at Fairtrade International, tells BeanScene coffee farmers have felt disruptions on multiple levels. Read more
The South American Growers’ Association (SAGA) is on a mission to make high-grade, affordable coffee from Brazil and Colombia accessible to everyone, while creating a more sustainable future for farmers.
In his position as CEO of Minas Hill Coffee, Marcelo Brussi has formed countless friends and contacts within the coffee industry. In 2014, a chance meeting with Melbourne-based Colombian coffee roaster Sebastian Farias left an indelible mark on him, which he knew one day would lead to something special. Read more
Fairtrade ANZ is working with farmers in Papua New Guinea to improve coffee quality and create a sustainable future for the industry.
Coffee is Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) second largest export behind palm oil. The coffee industry employs approximately three million people and will play a major role in the developing country’s economic future. Read more
Southland Merchants is making a difference for Brazilian farmers through its green bean trading policy by supporting an economically sustainable supply chain.
In 2009, Andre Selga and Nadia Moreira were running successful grocery and exporting businesses in their native Brazil. The pair had built a strong professional network and were exporting goods to Europe, the United States, and Africa. Read more
Through community projects, investments, and experimentation, Project Origin offers stability to producers and quality to roasters.
Visiting the town of Masina in Ethiopia, Project Origin General Manager Habib Maarbani was struck by how few options the people had for drinking water. Read more
Champion of the 2019 Milklab Barista Battle Series Jibbi Little recounts her discoveries about coffee production and culture in South-East Asia.
Vietnam is famous as the world’s largest producer of Robusta coffee. However, when Jibbi Little visited the country in December 2019, she experienced a completely different part of the nation’s industry. Read more
Green bean trader Minas Hill has launched a foundation to formalise its commitment to origin and aims to ramp up its sustainability in 2020.
Since its creation eight years ago, Minas Hill has strived to support its farming partners and their communities. Founder and CEO Marcelo Brussi says this is due to his understanding and appreciation of not only the farm owners, but the workers who make coffee production possible. Read more
St Remio is committed to empowering the lives of Rwanda’s female coffee producers and promoting the stories behind each cup.
June 21 was no ordinary day for St Remio Director Julia Tink and Founder Trent Knox. As they emerged from their car at the top of a hill overlooking the Rukara suburb in the Kayonza district of Rwanda, they heard singing and chanting in the distance. Drawn to the sounds, the husband-and-wife team made their way down the dusty clay path holding hands. Tears rolled down Julia’s face as she saw the joyous expressions of 150 local women who had gathered to celebrate the official opening of the Twongere Umusaruro Cupping Lab and give thanks. Read more
John Russell Storey of Cofi-Com describes the value of Jamaica’s smallholder producers and the value of shade cover in the Caribbean island nation.
When people think of the island country of Jamaica, thoughts immediately turn to a love of reggae and the Jamaican bobsled team, made famous in the 1994 movie Cool Runnings about four Jamaican athletes who formed a bobsled dream to fulfill their dreams of competing in the Winter Olympics. Read more
Fairtrade is providing small-scale producers in Papua New Guinea with access to advanced training to improve the quality and consistency of their coffee.
Not long ago, Papua New Guinea was one of the leading suppliers of coffee to Australia, providing more than half the nation’s imports. However, after PNG gained independence in the 1970s and quotas and duties were lifted off other origins in the 1980s, Australia began looking elsewhere to source its coffee. Read more